Romania’s New Law Toughening Femicide Sentences Welcomed

Romania’s parliament on Wednesday by an overwhelming majority adopted a new law aimed at preventing and combating femicide and the violence that precedes it, significantly strengthening protections for women.

The bill, approved with 284 votes in favour, one against and two abstentions, for the first time introduces a legal definition of femicide as the intentional killing of a woman, regardless of whether the perpetrator is a family member or a third party. Femicide will now be punished in line with aggravated murder, carrying sentences of 15 to 25 years in prison, or life imprisonment.

The law also requires authorities to systematically collect nationwide data on femicide and related forms of violence, an area long affected by gaps that officials say have undermined prevention and policy responses.

It also enhances protection mechanisms for victims and their families. Children of femicide victims will be formally recognised as direct victims and granted immediate assistance. Stricter penalties will be applied if the crime is committed in the presence of minors.

The law change follows a rise in killings of women in Romania, many of them linked to domestic abuse, and follows earlier proposals to classify femicide explicitly as a form of aggravated murder punishable by life imprisonment.

“It is an important day for us. Women in Romania will now have more protection mechanisms if they become victims of violence,” said the Centre for Legal Resources and Feminism in Romania, FILIA, one of the organisations that pushed for the law.

Last year, 53 women in Romania were killed by their current or former partners, while Justice Ministry data show that at least 14 women are assaulted every hour. In 2025, police responded to more than 130,000 domestic violence cases, nearly 5 per cent more than the previous year.

The law will now be sent to President Nicusor Dan for promulgation before entering into force.